When Microsoft spent a fortune on developer Rare the one game that I wanted to see on the Xbox was a sequel to Perfect Dark. The game - a first-person shooter made by some of the team behind the seminal Goldeneye - appeared at the tail-end of the N64's reign. While it didn't quite match up to Bond's brilliance, the innovative weaponry and multiplayer options made for a memorable shooter. It also had a great launch party, with attendees "kidnapped" and bundled into trucks by "terrorists". Yes, this was pre 9/11. So the release of an Xbox 360 sequel is good news.
The game is certain to be unveiled next week, with the above image of heroine Joanna Dark appearing on Microsoft's teaser site. Rumours about the game have been leaking for a while, but the most tantalising teaser details the ability to scan yourself into the action via the Xbox 360's camera.
The original game had planned to let players scan their faces into the game using the rudimentary Game Boy camera. This was dropped due to concerns over violence, although it ignored the fact that the facial graphics were so basic that it would have been hard to tell who you were "shooting" anyway. Now, of course, graphics have vastly improved, and it will be interesting to see how MS deal with this issue if the feature is included in the game.
